BMC parking lot at SoBo to get charging stn for e-vehicles

South Mumbai is set to get its first electric vehicle charging station with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) deciding to set one up inside the civic

South Mumbai is set to get its first electric vehicle charging station with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) deciding to set one up inside the civic body-owned parking lot at Hutatma Chowk.

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The BMC plans to have charging stations at the parking lots it owns citywide. It has decided to start this initiative with BMC’s A ward, that looks after areas like Churchgate, Colaba and Fort, by installing a charging station for electric vehicles at the Hutatma Chowk parking lot.

“We have drafted the proposal to have an electric-vehicle charging station at our on-street parking lot in Hutatma Chowk. We will install the same by floating bids on receiving approval,” said Chanda Jadhav, assistant municipal commissioner, BMC’s A ward.

Jadhav added, “The charging station will come up inside the parking lot by ensuring other activities are not disturbed. We have also identified five locations in my ward to install smart poles on traffic junctions.”

According to the BMC, smart poles will have directions, signages, traffic signals, and charging points for phones. Of the five poles, one pole to be installed at Hutatma Chowk will also have a charging point for electric vehicles. The BMC has been pushing the use of electric vehicles by planning to start a rent service for electric bikes.

A month ago, municipal commissioner Praveen Pardeshi had also issued a circular instructing several parameters to be considered by BMC officials while installing charging stations inside public parking lots.

BJP corporator Makrand Narvekar from Colaba said, “I had told the BMC that having charging stations for electric vehicles at parking lots will serve two purposes — parking and charging — simultaneously. Also, if we want to promote the usage of electric vehicles, we have to create infrastructure for the same.”